Tongs



J. A. "-RETER'VSL-ON ET AL 1,357,397

TONGS May 10, 1932.

Filed Dec-{ 10. 1929 'INVENTORJ Moi TTORNW Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES JOSEPH A, PETERSON Am CARL E. oLsEr or HOUSTON, TEXAS TQNGS r Application filed December 10,. 1929. Serial No. 412,993.

This invention relates to tongs and the like. It has for its general object the provision of a new and improved tong of'great'strength but light weight, adapted tobe handled with ease and safety. a I

A more specific objec'tis toprovide'in a tong of this general type embodyinga pair of relatively movable jaws, new and improved means to positively move its jaws together and prevent opening thereof, whereby. the pipe or'other object to which the tong is applied may be positively gripped before a turning force is applied to the handle to avoid inadvertent disconnection of the pipe and tong and consequent injury'to workmeni Another object is the provision of a tong embodying a plurality of teeth, the construction and disposition of whichis such that the pipe or the like to which the tong is applied is not crushed or unduly distorted when a turning force is applied to the handle of the tong; nor are the elements of the tong unduly strained. t I

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tong'with one arm of the fork of its handle removed, the tongbeing shown as it is initially moved on a pipe; Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 (with the spring re moved), the tong being shown on the pipe; Fig. 3, a fragmentary bottom plan view of the tong; Fig. 4, a horizontal section on the line 4- of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, aview similar to Fig. 2 except that the arm of the fork has been partially replaced and the actuating and locking member has been moved into active position.

The tong embodies a handle 3,;forked or bifurcated to provide a pair of ar'ms 3a and 3b; and a pair of jaws 1 and 2, the former pivotally mounted in the fork by means of the pin 4; the latterpivotally and slidably', by means of the pin 5, passing through itsslot 2a. The rear ends of the jaws are pivoted together as indicated at'6. v

The forward end of the jaw l is curved inwardly and provided with a transversely elongated tooth 7. V

The jaw 2 has a substantially semi-circular recess 26 at its forward ,end;,transversely elongated teeth 8 and 9 being mounted atits outer and inner forward ends, respectively.

The spring means to effect closure of the jaws includesa spring l5 normally extending from the chamber 2?) into the slot 2a. l Re'ciprocable in the slot 2a is a spring guide 10' havingan apertured head ll through;

which thepin 5 extends. 1

, The spring-l5serves to urge the jaws to gether to normally effect and yieldably maintain closureof the'same by moving and holding the guide 10 forwardly in the slot 2a.

See Fig. 2. f Whenthe tong is applied to a pipe orthe "like, as-shownby F ig. 1, thejawsare forcedapart, the resistance of the spring 9 being overcome by the pin 5 which forces the guide 10 rearwardly in slot 2a. During opening and closing movements'of the. jaws the pin 5 rotates slightly in thehead 11 of the spring guide, but the guide has only a recip rocatory movement in the slot 2a. y

Now the teeth 7, 8, and 9 are elongated transversely with respectto the tong andare .7

spaced at substantially equal distances apart when the jaws are about closed. In other words, the teeth 8 and 9 are spaced on'the jaw 2 to engage a pipejof predetermined diameter one hundred twenty degrees (120?) g apart; and the pivotal mounting of the jaws and the position'of the tooth 7 in the jaw .1 are such that the tooth 7 will engagethe pipe one hundred twenty degrees (120) from tooth 8 and from tooth 9.. When the tong is applied to a vertical pipe it will be held thereon in a plane substantially perpendicular thereto bythe cooperation of said teeth actuated by the spring means. 'The biting edges of the teeth are then substantially parallel with the axis of the pipe.

Should it become necessary to engage a' horizontal'pip e from below, the tong may be inverted and moved upwardly into engagement therewith. It will be obvious that in a that event, the engagement of the teeth, actuated by the spring means, will hold the tong on the pipe.

For varlous well known reasons, "it frequently becomes necessary to apply great tion on the pipeto which it is app1ied,'no

matter what the position of the pipe nor how i the tong is applied; and the teeth of the tong will be positioned for the desired biting action. v

It will be apparent that when the tong is rotated on the pipe in a clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 2, the teeth 7, 8, and 9 will be moved into biting engagement therewith, because the'pin 5 will be forced forwardly in the slot 2a to move the jaws together.

Workmen have frequently been injured by inadvertent disconnection of a tong and the object to which it is applied. This occurs frequently in deep well drilling operations in which the workman standing upon a slippery derrick floor throws his weight upon a tong applied to a drill stem to disconnect the sections of pipe of which itis composed. To avoid accidents of this kind, and for other purposes which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, we provide the locking member, preferably in the form of a'lever'12 pivoted to the'handle as indicated at 13 and provided on its forward end witha cam 12a. When the tong is applied to a pipe as shown by Fig. 2, and the locking member 12 is ro-' tated from the pos tion shownby Fig. 2 to the position shown by Fig. 5, the'cam 12a will engage the rounded rear end of the jaw 1 adjacent the pivotal connection of the jaws to positively move the jaws together and prevent opening thereof. When the jaws are so moved together, the teeth 7, 8, and 9 will bemade to bite the pipe; and so the pipe may be gripped prior to the application of a turning force to the handle. It will be observed, however, that the locking means does not interfere with further gripping movement of the jaws, which will occur should a very great turning force be applied to the handle.

The tong cannot, of course, be removed from the pipe until the locking member has been moved from the position shown by Fig. 5 to the position shown by Fig. 2, and accidental disconnection is, therefore, impossible.

The tong may, of course, be used with the locking member in an inactive position. In that event the handle may be swung back and f0rth;'that is, be given a ratchet movement, to effect a turning of the pipe.

The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment shown and described. Various changes may be made, all within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotally and slidably mounted on said handle, and a looking member to positively move said jaws together and prevent opening of said jaws.

2. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotally and slidably mounted on saidhandle, yieldable means to urge said jaws together, and a locking member to positively move said jaws together and prevent opening of said jaws.

3. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotally and slid-ably mounted on said handle, said jaws being pivotally connected together, yieldable means to urge said jaws together, and a locking member mounted on said handle and movable. into engagement with one of said jaws to positively move said jaws together and prevent opening of said jaws.

4'. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotally and slidably mounted on said handle, said jaws being pivotally connected together at a point to the rear of their connections to said handle, and a locking member mounted on said handle and movable into engagement with one of said aws at a point to the rear of the pivotal connections of said jaws to said handleto positively move said jaws together and prevent opening of said jaws.

5. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotally and slidably mounted on said handle, said jawsbeing pivotally connected together'at a point to the rear of their connections to said handle. yieldable means to urge said jaws together, and a locking member mounted on said handle and movable into engagement with one of said j aws at a point to the rear of the pivotal connections of said jaws to said handlelto positively prevent opening of said aws. V

6. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotally and slidably mounted on said handle, said jaws being pivotally connected together at a point to the rear of their connections to said handle, and a lever pivotally mounted on said handle and movable into engagement with one of said jaws at a point to the rear-of the pivotal connections of said jaws to said handle to positively prevent opening of said jaws.

7. A tong having a handle, a' jaw pivotally mounted on said handle. a jaw pivotally and slidably mounted on said handle, said jaws being pivotally connected together at a point to the rear oftheir'connections to said handle, and a lever pivotally mounted on said handle and having a cam movable. into engagement with one of said jaws at a point to the rear of the pivotal connections of said.

jaws to said handle to positively prevent opening of said jaws.

8. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotally and slidably mounted on said handle, said jaws being pivotally connected together, a tooth mounted on one of said jaws, a pair of teeth mounted on the other of said jaws, said teeth being at substantially equal distances apart when said jaws are in predetermined positions with respect to each other. a

9. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotally and slidably mounted on said handle, said jaws being pivotally connected together, a tooth mounted on one of said jaws, a pair of teeth mounted on the other of said jaws, said teeth being transversely elongated and at substantially equal distances apart when said jaws are in predetermined positions with respect to each other.

10. A tong having a handle, a pair of relatievly movable jaws mounted on said handle, a tooth mounted on one of'said jaws. a pair of teeth mounted on the other of said jaws, said teeth being at substantially equal distances apart when said jaws are in predetermined positions with respect to each other, and a locking member to positively move said jaws together and prevent opening of said jaws.

11. A tong having a handle, a jaw pivotally mounted on said handle, a jaw pivotallv and slidably mounted on said handle, said jaws being pivotally connected together, a

tooth mounted on one of said jaws. a pair of teeth mounted on the other of said jaws. said teeth being at substantially equal distances apart when said jaws are in predetermined positions with respect to each other, and a locking member mounted on said handle and movable into engagement with one of said. jaws to positively prevent opening of said aws.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto afiix our signatures.

JOSEPH A. PETERSON.

CARL E. OLSEN. 

